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We propose a general numerical approach to open quantum systems with a coupling to bath degrees of freedom. The technique combines the methodology of polynomial expansions of spectral functions with the sparse grid concept from interpolation theory. Thereby we construct a Hilbert space of moderate dimension to represent the bath degrees of freedom, which allows us to perform highly accurate and efficient calculations of static, spectral and dynamic quantities using standard exact diagonalization algorithms. The strength of the approach is demonstrated for the phase transition, critical behaviour, and dissipative spin dynamics in the spin boson model

As well known, an electron will produce radiative reaction force when the electron emits electromagnetism radiation. The electron radiative effect had not been considered in Schr\"{o}dinger wave equation. In this paper, we give the nonlinear quantum wave equations for the radiative electron and some dissipative systems.

We develop a semiclassical method for the determination of the nonlinear dynamics of dissipative quantum optical systems in the limit of large number of photons N, based on the 1/N-expansion and the quantum-classical correspondence. The method has been used to tackle two problems: to study the dynamics of nonclassical state generation in higher-order anharmonic dissipative oscillators and to establish the difference between the quantum and classical dynamics of the second-harmonic generation in a self-pulsing regime. In addressing the first problem, we have obtained an explicit time dependence of the squeezing and the Fano factor for an arbitrary degree of anharmonism in the short-time approximation. For the second problem, we have established analytically a characteristic time scale when the quantum dynamics differs insignificantly from the classical one.

Studying quantitatively the real time dynamics of quantum materials can be challenging. Here, we address dissipative and driven quantum impurities such as spin-1/2 particles. Integrating over the environmental degrees of freedom produces entropy, decoherence and disorder effects. At low temperatures, spin-bath entanglement and memory effects of a non-Markovian bath result in intricate spin dynamics that we describe in analogy to classical systems coupled to stochastic forces or fields and random walks. A paradigmatic example of environment is a one-dimensional ensemble of harmonic oscillators (boson bath or Luttinger liquid) which can give rise to a plethora of rich phenomena such as dynamical Coulomb blockade, quantum phase transitions due to dissipation-induced localization, Kondo physics and Quantum Brownian Motion. At the same time, such an environment can be seen as a transmission line transporting input and output microwave light signals. In this article, we present our efforts to describe quantitatively the stochastic aspect of such quantum trajectories in time, the dissipation induced by the environment, as well as dynamical and topological effects imposed by external time-dependent potentials (such as AC perturbations or Floquet perturbations periodic in time, light-matter coupling and Ramsey interferometry). Then, we introduce quantum simulators in mesoscopic systems, circuit quantum electrodynamics and ultra-cold atoms to describe other aspects of driven dissipative quantum dynamics and topology in relation with experiments.

We report an anomalous decoherence phenomenon of a quantum dissipative system in the framework of a stochastic decoupling scheme along with a hierarchical equations-of-motion formalism without the usual Born-Markov or weak coupling approximations. It is found that the decoherence of a two-qubit spin-boson model can be reduced by increasing the bath temperature in strong-coupling regimes. For the weak-coupling situation, we find that the bath temperature may enhance the decoherence. This result is contrary to the common recognition that a higher bath temperature always induces a more severe decoherence and suggests that a decoherence dynamical transition occurs in this two-qubit spin-boson model. We also demonstrate that the critical transition point can be characterized by the behavior of the frequency spectrum of the quantum coherence indicator.

We report an anomalous decoherence phenomenon of a quantum dissipative system in the framework of a stochastic decoupling scheme along with a hierarchical equations-of-motion formalism without the usual Born-Markov or weak coupling approximations. It is found that the decoherence of a two-qubit spin-boson model can be reduced by increasing the bath temperature in strong-coupling regimes. For the weak-coupling situation, we find that the bath temperature may enhance the decoherence. This result is contrary to the common recognition that a higher bath temperature always induces a more severe decoherence and suggests that a decoherence dynamical transition occurs in this two-qubit spin-boson model. We also demonstrate that the critical transition point can be characterized by the behavior of the frequency spectrum of the quantum coherence indicator.

In this Letter we consider stationary states of dissipative quantum systems. We discuss stationary states of dissipative quantum systems, which coincide with stationary states of Hamiltonian quantum systems. Dissipative quantum systems with pure stationary states of linear harmonic oscillator are suggested. We discuss bifurcations of stationary states for dissipative quantum systems which are quantum analogs of classical dynamical bifurcations.

Introduction Path Integrals - Introduction - Propagator - Free Particle - Path Integral Representation of Quantum Mechanics - Particle on a Ring - Particle in a Box - Driven Harmonic Oscillator - Semiclassical Approximation - Imaginary Time Path Integral Dissipative Systems - Introduction - Environment as Collection of Harmonic Oscillators - Effective Action Damped Harmonic Oscillator - Partition Function - Ground State Energy and Density of States - Position Autocorrelation Function

In this paper we present a new quantum-trajectory based treatment of quantum dynamics suitable for dissipative systems. Starting from a de Broglie/Bohm-like representation of the quantum density matrix, we derive and define quantum equations-of-motion for Liouville-space trajectories for a generalized system coupled to a dissipative environment. Our theory includes a vector potential which mixes forward and backwards propagating components and non-local quantum potential which continuously produces coherences in the system. These trajectories are then used to propagate an adaptive Lagrangian grid which carries the density matrix, $\rho(x,y)$, and the action, $A(x,y)$, thereby providing a complete hydrodynamic-like description of the dynamics.

We study the real time dynamics of a quantum system with potential barrier coupled to a heat-bath environment. Employing the path integral approach an evolution equation for the time dependent density matrix is derived. The time evolution is evaluated explicitly near the barrier top in the temperature region where quantum effects become important. It is shown that there exists a quasi-stationary state with a constant flux across the potential barrier. This state generalizes the Kramers flux solution of the classical Fokker-Planck equation to the quantum regime. In the temperature range explored the quantum flux state depends only on the parabolic approximation of the anharmonic barrier potential near the top. The parameter range within which the solution is valid is investigated in detail. In particular, by matching the flux state onto the equilibrium state on one side of the barrier we gain a condition on the minimal damping strength. For very high temperatures this condition reduces to a known result from classical rate theory. Within the specified parameter range the decay rate out of a metastable state is calculated from the flux solution. The rate is shown to coincide with the result of purely thermodynamic methods. The real time approach presented can be extended to lower temperatures and smaller damping.

Optimal control methods for implementing quantum modules with least amount of relaxative loss are devised to give best approximations to unitary gates under relaxation. The potential gain by optimal control using relaxation parameters against time-optimal control is explored and exemplified in numerical and in algebraic terms: it is the method of choice to govern quantum systems within subspaces of weak relaxation whenever the drift Hamiltonian would otherwise drive the system through fast decaying modes. In a standard model system generalising decoherence-free subspaces to more realistic scenarios, openGRAPE-derived controls realise a CNOT with fidelities beyond 95% instead of at most 15% for a standard Trotter expansion. As additional benefit it requires control fields orders of magnitude lower than the bang-bang decouplings in the latter.

The nonequilibrium dynamics of a small quantum system coupled to a dissipative environment is studied. We show that (1) the oscillatory dynamics close to a coherent-to-incoherent transition is surprisingly different from the one of the classical damped harmonic oscillator and that (2) non-markovian memory plays a prominent role in the time evolution after a quantum quench.

The nonequilibrium dynamics of a small quantum system coupled to a dissipative environment is studied. We show that (1) the oscillatory dynamics close to a coherent-to-incoherent transition is surprisingly different from the one of the classical damped harmonic oscillator and that (2) non-markovian memory plays a prominent role in the time evolution after a quantum quench.

We examine the non-Markovian dynamics in a multipartite system of two initially correlated atomic qubits, each located in a single-mode leaky cavity and interacting with its own bosonic reservoir. We show the dominance of non-Markovian features, as quantified by the difference in fidelity of the evolved system with its density matrix at an earlier time, in three specific two-qubit partitions associated with the cavity-cavity and atom-reservoir density matrices within the same subsystem, and the cavity-reservoir reduced matrix across the two subsystems. The non-Markovianity in the cavity-cavity subsystem is seen to be optimized in the vicinity of the exceptional point. The CHSH-Bell inequality computed for various two-qubit partitions show that high non-locality present in a specific subsystem appears in conjunction with enhanced non-Markovian dynamics in adjacent subsystems. This is in contrast to the matching existence of non-locality and quantum correlations in regions spanned by time t and the cavity decay rate for select partitions. We discuss the applicability of these results to photosynthetic systems.

The two main predictions of quantum field theory in curved space-time, namely Hawking radiation and cosmological pair production, have not been directly tested and involve ultra high energy configurations. As a consequence, they should be considered with caution. Using the analogy with condensed matter systems, their analogue versions could be tested in the lab. Moreover, the high energy behavior of these systems is known and involves dispersion and dissipation, which regulate the theory at short distances. When considering experiments which aim to test the above predictions, there will also be a competition between the stimulated emission from thermal noise and the spontaneous emission out of vacuum. In order to measure these effects, one should thus compute the consequences of UV dispersion and dissipation, and identify observables able to establish that the spontaneous emission took place. In this thesis, we first analyze the effects of dispersion and dissipation on both Hawking radiation and pair particle production. To get explicit results, we work in the context of de Sitter space. Using the extended symmetries of the theory in such a background, exact results are obtained. These are then transposed to the context of black holes using the correspondence between de Sitter space and the black hole near horizon region. To introduce dissipation, we consider an exactly solvable model producing any decay rate. We also study the quantum entanglement of the particles so produced. In a second part, we consider explicit condensed matter systems, namely Bose Einstein condensates and exciton-polariton systems. We analyze the effects of dissipation on entanglement produced by the dynamical Casimir effect. As a final step, we study the entanglement of Hawking radiation in the presence of dispersion for a generic analogue system.

The two main predictions of quantum field theory in curved space-time, namely Hawking radiation and cosmological pair production, have not been directly tested and involve ultra high energy configurations. As a consequence, they should be considered with caution. Using the analogy with condensed matter systems, their analogue versions could be tested in the lab. Moreover, the high energy behavior of these systems is known and involves dispersion and dissipation, which regulate the theory at short distances. When considering experiments which aim to test the above predictions, there will also be a competition between the stimulated emission from thermal noise and the spontaneous emission out of vacuum. In order to measure these effects, one should thus compute the consequences of UV dispersion and dissipation, and identify observables able to establish that the spontaneous emission took place. In this thesis, we first analyze the effects of dispersion and dissipation on both Hawking radiation and pair particle production. To get explicit results, we work in the context of de Sitter space. Using the extended symmetries of the theory in such a background, exact results are obtained. These are then transposed to the context of black holes using the correspondence between de Sitter space and the black hole near horizon region. To introduce dissipation, we consider an exactly solvable model producing any decay rate. We also study the quantum entanglement of the particles so produced. In a second part, we consider explicit condensed matter systems, namely Bose Einstein condensates and exciton-polariton systems. We analyze the effects of dissipation on entanglement produced by the dynamical Casimir effect. As a final step, we study the entanglement of Hawking radiation in the presence of dispersion for a generic analogue system.

The coupling between a quantum dynamical system and a two-level system reservoir is analysed within the framework of the Feynman-Vernon theory. We stress the differences between this new reservoir and the well-known bath of oscillators and show that, in order to obtain the Langevin equation for the system of interest in the high temperature regime, we have to choose a spectral distribution function $J(\omega)$ which is finite for $\omega=0$.

Two-time correlations are a crucial tool to probe the dynamics of many-body systems. We use these correlation functions to study the dynamics of dissipative quantum systems. Extending the adiabatic elimination method, we show that the correlations can display two distinct behaviors, depending on the observable of interest: a fast exponential decay, with a timescale of the order of the dissipative coupling, or a much slower dynamics. We apply this formalism to bosons in a double well subjected to phase noise. While the single-particle correlations decay exponentially, the density-density correlations display slow aging dynamics. We also show that the two-time correlations of dissipatively engineered quantum states can evolve in a drastically different manner compared to their Hamiltonian counterparts.

A quantum dissipation theory is formulated in terms of hierarchically coupled equations of motion for an arbitrary electronic system coupled with grand canonical Fermion bath ensembles. The theoretical construction starts with the second--quantization influence functional in path integral formalism, in which the Fermion creation and annihilation operators are represented by Grassmann variables. Time--derivatives on influence functionals are then performed in a hierarchical manner, on the basis of calculus--on--path--integral algorithm. Both the multiple--frequency--dispersion and the non-Markovian reservoir parametrization schemes are considered for the desired hierarchy construction. The resulting formalism is in principle exact, applicable to interacting systems, with arbitrary time-dependent external fields. It renders an exact tool to evaluate various transient and stationary quantum transport properties of many-electron systems. At the second--tier truncation level the present theory recovers the real--time diagrammatic formalism developed by Sch\"{o}n and coworkers. For a single-particle system, the hierarchical formalism terminates at the second tier exactly, and the Landuer--B\"{u}ttiker's transport current expression is readily recovered.

The path integral approach offers not only an exact expression for the non- equilibrium dynamics of dissipative quantum systems, but is also a convenient starting point for perturbative treatments. An alternative way to explore the influence of friction in the quantum realm is based on master equations which require, however, in one or the other aspect approximations. Here it is discussed under which conditions and limitations Markovian master equations can be derived from exact path integrals thus providing a firm basis for their applicability.

The path integral approach offers not only an exact expression for the non- equilibrium dynamics of dissipative quantum systems, but is also a convenient starting point for perturbative treatments. An alternative way to explore the influence of friction in the quantum realm is based on master equations which require, however, in one or the other aspect approximations. Here it is discussed under which conditions and limitations Markovian master equations can be derived from exact path integrals thus providing a firm basis for their applicability.

A method to construct non-dissipative non-Dirac-hermitian relativistic quantum system that is isospectral with a Dirac-hermitian Hamiltonian is presented. The general technique involves a realization of the basic canonical (anti-)commutation relations involving the Dirac matrices and the bosonic degrees of freedom in terms of non-Dirac-hermitian operators, which are hermitian in a Hilbert space that is endowed with a pre-determined positive-definite metric. Several examples of exactly solvable non-dissipative non-Dirac-hermitian relativistic quantum systems are presented by establishing/employing a connection between Dirac equation and supersymmetry

We study the stability of classical structures in chaotic systems when a dissipative quantum evolution takes place. We consider a paradigmatic model, the quantum baker map in contact with a heat bath at finite temperature. We analyze the behavior of the purity, fidelity and Husimi distributions corresponding to initial states localized on short periodic orbits (scar functions) and map eigenstates. Scar functions, that have a fundamental role in the semiclassical description of chaotic systems, emerge as very robust against environmental perturbations. This is confirmed by the study of other states localized on classical structures. Also, purity and fidelity show a complementary behavior as decoherence measures.

We introduce a class of Markovian quantum master equations, able to describe the dissipative dynamics of a quantum system weakly coupled to one or several heat baths. The dissipative structure is driven by an entropic operator, the so called modular Hamiltonian, which makes it nonlinear. The generated Modular Dynamical Semigroup (MDS) is not, in general, a Quantum Dynamical Semigroup (QDS), whose dynamics is of the popular Lindblad type. The MDS has a robust thermodynamic structure, which guarantees for the positivity of the time evolved state, the correct steady state properties, the positivity of the entropy production, a positive Onsager matrix and Onsager symmetry relations (arising from Green-Kubo formulas). We show that the celebrated Davies generator, obtained through the Born and the secular approximations, generates a MDS. By unravelling the modular structure of the former, we provide a different and genuinely nonlinear MDS, not of QDS type, which is free from the severe spectral restrictions of the Davies generator, while still being supported by a weak coupling limit argument. With respect to the latter, the present work is a substantial extension of \cite{Ottinger2011_GEO,Ottinger2010_TLS_DHO}

The standard {\em system-plus-reservoir} approach used in the study of dissipative systems can be meaningfully generalized to a dissipative coupling involving the momentum, instead of the coordinate: the corresponding equation of motion differs from the Langevin equation, so this is called {\em anomalous} dissipation. It occurs for systems where such coupling can indeed be derived from the physical analysis of the degrees of freedom which can be treated as a dissipation bath. Starting from the influence functional corresponding to anomalous dissipation, it is shown how to derive the effective classical potential that gives the quantum thermal averages for the dissipative system in terms of classical-like calculations; the generalization to many degrees of freedom is given. The formalism is applied to a single particle in a double-well and to the discrete $\phi^4$ model. At variance with the standard case, the fluctuations of the coordinate are enhanced by anomalous dissipative coupling.

The standard {\em system-plus-reservoir} approach used in the study of dissipative systems can be meaningfully generalized to a dissipative coupling involving the momentum, instead of the coordinate: the corresponding equation of motion differs from the Langevin equation, so this is called {\em anomalous} dissipation. It occurs for systems where such coupling can indeed be derived from the physical analysis of the degrees of freedom which can be treated as a dissipation bath. Starting from the influence functional corresponding to anomalous dissipation, it is shown how to derive the effective classical potential that gives the quantum thermal averages for the dissipative system in terms of classical-like calculations; the generalization to many degrees of freedom is given. The formalism is applied to a single particle in a double-well and to the discrete $\phi^4$ model. At variance with the standard case, the fluctuations of the coordinate are enhanced by anomalous dissipative coupling.

The standard {\em system-plus-reservoir} approach used in the study of dissipative systems can be meaningfully generalized to a dissipative coupling involving the momentum, instead of the coordinate: the corresponding equation of motion differs from the Langevin equation, so this is called {\em anomalous} dissipation. It occurs for systems where such coupling can indeed be derived from the physical analysis of the degrees of freedom which can be treated as a dissipation bath. Starting from the influence functional corresponding to anomalous dissipation, it is shown how to derive the effective classical potential that gives the quantum thermal averages for the dissipative system in terms of classical-like calculations; the generalization to many degrees of freedom is given. The formalism is applied to a single particle in a double-well and to the discrete $\phi^4$ model. At variance with the standard case, the fluctuations of the coordinate are enhanced by anomalous dissipative coupling.

The physics of many materials is modeled by quantum many-body systems with local interactions. If the model of the system is sensitive to noise from the environment, or small perturbations to the original interactions, it will not properly model the robustness of the real physical system it aims to describe, or be useful when engineering novel systems for quantum information processing. We show that local observables and correlation functions of local Liouvillians are stable to local perturbations if the dynamics is rapidly mixing and has a unique fixed point. No other condition is required.

Motivated by existence problems for dissipative systems arising naturally in lattice models from quantum statistical mechanics, we consider the following $C^{\ast}$-algebraic setting: A given hermitian dissipative mapping $\delta$ is densely defined in a unital $C^{\ast}$-algebra $\mathfrak{A}$. The identity element in ${\frak A}$ is also in the domain of $\delta$. Completely dissipative maps $\delta$ are defined by the requirement that the induced maps, $(a_{ij})\to (\delta (a_{ij}))$, are dissipative on the $n$ by $n$ complex matrices over ${\frak A}$ for all $n$. We establish the existence of different types of maximal extensions of completely dissipative maps. If the enveloping von Neumann algebra of ${\frak A}$ is injective, we show the existence of an extension of $\delta$ which is the infinitesimal generator of a quantum dynamical semigroup of completely positive maps in the von Neumann algebra. If $\delta$ is a given well-behaved *-derivation, then we show that each of the maps $\delta$ and $-\delta$ is completely dissipative.

Motivated by existence problems for dissipative systems arising naturally in lattice models from quantum statistical mechanics, we consider the following $C^{\ast}$-algebraic setting: A given hermitian dissipative mapping $\delta$ is densely defined in a unital $C^{\ast}$-algebra $\mathfrak{A}$. The identity element in ${\frak A}$ is also in the domain of $\delta$. Completely dissipative maps $\delta$ are defined by the requirement that the induced maps, $(a_{ij})\to (\delta (a_{ij}))$, are dissipative on the $n$ by $n$ complex matrices over ${\frak A}$ for all $n$. We establish the existence of different types of maximal extensions of completely dissipative maps. If the enveloping von Neumann algebra of ${\frak A}$ is injective, we show the existence of an extension of $\delta$ which is the infinitesimal generator of a quantum dynamical semigroup of completely positive maps in the von Neumann algebra. If $\delta$ is a given well-behaved *-derivation, then we show that each of the maps $\delta$ and $-\delta$ is completely dissipative.

Quantum mechanics of a general one dimensional dissipative system investigated by it's coupling to a Klein-Gordon field as the environment using a minimal coupling method. Heisenberg equation for such a dissipative system containing a dissipative term proportional to velocity obtained. As an example, quantum dynamics of a damped harmonic oscillator as the prototype of some important one dimensional dissipative models investigated consistently. Some transition probabilities indicating the way energy flows between the subsystems obtained.

Quantum dynamics of a general dissipative system investigated by its coupling to a Klein-Gordon type field as the environment by introducing a minimal coupling method. As an example, the quantum dynamics of a damped three dimensional harmonic oscillator investigated and some transition probabilities indicating the way energy flows between the subsystems obtained. The quantum dynamics of a dissipative two level system considered.

By using the Lindblad theory for open quantum systems, an analytical expression of the tunneling probability through an inverted parabola is obtained. This penetration probability depends on the environment coefficients. It is shown that the tunneling probability increases with the dissipation and the temperature of the thermal bath.

We consider quantum nonlinear many-body systems with dissipation described within the Caldeira-Leggett model, i.e., by a nonlocal action in the path integral for the density matrix. Approximate classical-like formulas for thermodynamic quantities are derived for the case of many degrees of freedom, with general kinetic and dissipative quadratic forms. The underlying scheme is the pure-quantum self-consistent harmonic approximation (PQSCHA), equivalent to the variational approach by the Feynman-Jensen inequality with a suitable quadratic nonlocal trial action. A low-coupling approximation permits to get manageable PQSCHA expressions for quantum thermal averages with a classical Boltzmann factor involving an effective potential and an inner Gaussian average that describes the fluctuations originating from the interplay of quanticity and dissipation. The application of the PQSCHA to a quantum phi4-chain with Drude-like dissipation shows nontrivial effects of dissipation, depending upon its strength and bandwidth.

We consider the steady states of a harmonic oscillator coupled so strongly to a two-level system (a qubit) that the rotating wave approximation cannot be made. The Hamiltonian version of this model is known as the $E\otimes\beta$ Jahn-Teller model. The semiclassical version of this system exhibits a fixed point bifurcation, which in the quantum model leads to a ground state with substantial entanglement between the oscillator and the qubit. We show that the dynamical bifurcation survives in a dissipative quantum description of the system, amidst an even richer bifurcation structure. We propose two experimental implementations of this model based on superconducting cavities: a parametrically driven nonlinear nanomechanical resonator coupled capacitively to a coplanar microwave cavity and a superconducting junction in the central conductor of a coplanar waveguide.

We consider the steady states of a harmonic oscillator coupled so strongly to a two-level system (a qubit) that the rotating wave approximation cannot be made. The Hamiltonian version of this model is known as the $E\otimes\beta$ Jahn-Teller model. The semiclassical version of this system exhibits a fixed point bifurcation, which in the quantum model leads to a ground state with substantial entanglement between the oscillator and the qubit. We show that the dynamical bifurcation survives in a dissipative quantum description of the system, amidst an even richer bifurcation structure. We propose two experimental implementations of this model based on superconducting cavities: a parametrically driven nonlinear nanomechanical resonator coupled capacitively to a coplanar microwave cavity and a superconducting junction in the central conductor of a coplanar waveguide.

We review efficient Monte Carlo methods for simulating quantum systems which couple to a dissipative environment. A brief introduction of the Caldeira-Leggett model and the Monte Carlo method will be followed by a detailed discussion of cluster algorithms and the treatment of long-range interactions. Dissipative quantum spins and resistively shunted Josephson junctions will be considered.

We study relaxation times, also called mixing times, of quantum many-body systems described by a Lindblad master equation. We in particular study the scaling of the spectral gap with the system length, the so-called dynamical exponent, identifying a number of transitions in the scaling. For systems with bulk dissipation we generically observe different scaling for small and for strong dissipation strength, with a critical transition strength going to zero in the thermodynamic limit. We also study a related phase transition in the largest decay mode. For systems with only boundary dissipation we show a generic bound that the gap can not be larger than 1/L. In integrable systems with boundary dissipation one typically observes scaling 1/L^3, while in chaotic ones one can have faster relaxation with the gap scaling as 1/L and thus saturating the generic bound. We also observe transition from exponential to algebraic gap in systems with localized modes.

We compare the accuracy, precision and reliability of different methods for estimating key system parameters for two-level systems subject to Hamiltonian evolution and decoherence. It is demonstrated that the use of Bayesian modelling and maximum likelihood estimation is superior to common techniques based on Fourier analysis. Even for simple two-parameter estimation problems, the Bayesian approach yields higher accuracy and precision for the parameter estimates obtained. It requires less data, is more flexible in dealing with different model systems, can deal better with uncertainty in initial conditions and measurements, and enables adaptive refinement of the estimates. The comparison results shows that this holds for measurements of large ensembles of spins and atoms limited by Gaussian noise as well as projection noise limited data from repeated single-shot measurements of a single quantum device.

We compare the accuracy, precision and reliability of different methods for estimating key system parameters for two-level systems subject to Hamiltonian evolution and decoherence. It is demonstrated that the use of Bayesian modelling and maximum likelihood estimation is superior to common techniques based on Fourier analysis. Even for simple two-parameter estimation problems, the Bayesian approach yields higher accuracy and precision for the parameter estimates obtained. It requires less data, is more flexible in dealing with different model systems, can deal better with uncertainty in initial conditions and measurements, and enables adaptive refinement of the estimates. The comparison results shows that this holds for measurements of large ensembles of spins and atoms limited by Gaussian noise as well as projection noise limited data from repeated single-shot measurements of a single quantum device.

Estimation of parameters is a pivotal task throughout science and technology. Quantum Cram\'{e}r-Rao bound provides a fundamental limit of precision allowed to achieve under quantum theory. For closed quantum systems, it has been shown how the estimation precision depends on the underlying dynamics. Here, we propose a general formulation for metrology scenarios in open quantum systems, aiming to relate the precision more directly to properties of the underlying dynamics. Specifically, we derive a Cram\'{e}r-Rao bound for a fairly large class of open system dynamics, which is governed by a (time-dependent) dynamical semi-group map. We illustrate the utility of this scenario through three examples.

The objective of this article is to apply recent developments in geometric optimal control to analyze the time minimum control problem of dissipative two-level quantum systems whose dynamics is governed by the Lindblad equation. We focus our analysis on the case where the extremal Hamiltonian is integrable.

The objective of this article is to apply recent developments in geometric optimal control to analyze the time minimum control problem of dissipative two-level quantum systems whose dynamics is governed by the Lindblad equation. We focus our analysis on the case where the extremal Hamiltonian is integrable.

The underlying theme of most of our research has been transport and noise phenomena in sub-micron systems and devices. This subject is of interest for both basic and technological reasons and it is now well-recognized that many interesting quantum phenomena come into play in the so-called mesoscopic regime. Whereas in the past we placed emphasis on the development of optimum techniques, our present thrust has been geared toward applications of same. The main thrust of the research was concerned with semiconductor quantum wires and special emphasis was placed on analyzing the relevant experiments.

We argue that the quantized non-Abelian gauge theory can be obtained as the infrared limit of the corresponding classical gauge theory in a higher dimension. We show how the transformation from classical to quantum dynamics emerges and calculate Planck's constant from quantities defined in the underlying classical field theory.

A novel method is introduced in order to treat the dissipative dynamics of quantum systems interacting with a bath of classical degrees of freedom. The method is based upon an extension of the Nos\`e-Hoover chain (constant temperature) dynamics to quantum-classical systems. Both adiabatic and nonadiabatic numerical calculations on the relaxation dynamics of the spin-boson model show that the quantum-classical Nos\`e-Hoover chain dynamics represents the thermal noise of the bath in an accurate and simple way. Numerical comparisons, both with the constant energy calculation and with the quantum-classical Brownian motion treatment of the bath, show that the quantum-classical Nos\`e-Hoover Chain dynamics can be used to introduce dissipation in the evolution of a quantum subsystem even with just one degree of freedom for the bath. The algorithm can be computationally advantageous in modeling, within computer simulation, the dynamics of a quantum subsystem interacting with complex molecular environments.

We introduce a new theoretical approach to dissipative quantum systems. By means of a continuous sequence of infinitesimal unitary transformations, we decouple the small quantum system that one is interested in from its thermodynamically large environment. This yields a trivial final transformed Hamiltonian. Dissipation enters through the observation that generically observables ``decay'' completely under these unitary transformations, i.e. are completely transformed into other terms. As a nontrivial example the spin-boson model is discussed in some detail. For the super-Ohmic bath we obtain a very satisfactory description of short, intermediate and long time scales at small temperatures. This can be tested from the generalized Shiba-relation that is fulfilled within numerical errors.

We apply the restricted-path-integral (RPI) theory of non-minimally disturbing continuous measurements for correct description of frictional Brownian motion. The resulting master equation is automatically of the Lindblad form, so that the difficulties typical of other approaches do not exist. In the special case of harmonic oscillator the known familiar master equation describing its frictionally driven Brownian motion is obtained. A thermal reservoir as a measuring environment is considered.

We study the relationship between one-dimensional fermion gas-impurity models and quantum dissipative systems, via the method of constructive bosonisation and unitary transformation. Starting from an anisotropic Coqblin-Schrieffer model, a new, exactly solvable, three-level quantum dissipative system is derived as a generalisation of the standard spin-half spin-boson model. The new system has two environmental oscillator baths with ohmic coupling, and admits arbitrary detuning between the three levels. All tunnelling matrix elements are equal, up to one complex phase which is itself a function of the longitudinal and transverse couplings in the integrable limit. Our work underlines the importance of re-examining the detailed structure of fermion-gas impurity models and spin chains, in the light of connections to models for quantum dissipative systems.

Brownian motors, i.e. devices able to produce useful work out of thermal forces with the help of other unbiased forces, provide an ideal benchmark for the investigation of quantum dissipative systems, for two reasons. First, the interaction with a dissipative environment plays an essential role in the performance of Brownian motors. Second, dissipative tunneling enriches the dynamics of quantum Brownian motors with respect to their classical counterpart, inducing features such as current reversals as a function of temperature. Here we report on our work on quantum Brownian motors and discuss the load characteristic of such a system.